UD Neurologic and Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic |
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Cathy Ciolek (left) - Associate Director Dr. Darcy Reisman (right) - Academic Director |
Last spring, the UDPT department launched the Neurologic and Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic (NOA). The clinic is modeled after the UDPT Clinic, and serves as the new home of the Neurologic and Older Adult Integrated Clinical Experience. The DPT curriculum now includes 3 integrated clinical experiences: one orthopedic, one pediatric and the neurologic and older adult. Renovations on the third floor of McKinly Lab have carved out a space for the new Clinic. In addition to offering PT services, the clinic will be sponsoring exercise classes designed for persons with particular diagnoses (e.g. osteoporosis, stroke) that will be offered free or at low cost to the community. The classes will be designed and implemented by students participating in the Neurologic and Older Adult Integrated Clinical Experience, under the supervision of PT Faculty. The first class was for stroke survivors and was held at the Newark Community Center. Dr. Darcy Reisman
and Cathy Ciolek work hard to make this Clinic a success. Cathy was hired as Associate
Director, and began in working for UD in September, 2004. Cathy is one of only 3 Geriatric Clinical Specialists (GCS)
in Delaware and is President of the DPTA.
UDPT students are lucky to have
these resources so readily available to them.
Currently half of students in their Geriatric rotation are placed in
the NOA Clinic. Plans are in
development to expand the size of both the NOA and Sports and Ortho Clinics,
and following this expansion there will be room for all
students to have their integrated experience take place in the NOA
clinic. The NOA Clinic sponsors a monthly Journal Club. Alumni and clinicians are encouraged to attend. The Journal Club schedule, topics and articles can be accessed electronically at: http://www.udel.edu/PT/clinic/journalclub.html. For more information on the NOA clinic, please read below
or contact Dr. Darcy Reisman. NOA stands for the Neurologic and Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic at
the University of Delaware. At NOA, our mission is to provide the
highest quality physical therapy services for older adults and persons
with neurologic conditions while providing outstanding clinical exposure for
University of Delaware Physical Therapy students. It is our goal that
clinical research and community programs offered through NOA will enhance and
improve the rehabilitation of older adults and
persons with neurologic conditions throughout the community. Patient
Care & Clinical Education Providing the highest quality of care for the older adult patient or those
with a neurologic condition is the primary mission of the Neurologic and
Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic at the University of Delaware (NOA). At
NOA we recognize the importance of individual care and are committed to
providing excellent care through low patient-therapist ratios and the
involvement of department research faculty in consultative service to our
patients. All supervising Physical Therapists at NOA are experienced in
the rehabilitation of older adults and/or those with a neurologic injury or
disease. Because NOA serves as a clinical teaching site for graduate
students in Physical Therapy at the University of Delaware, patients benefit
from the educational resources available and from the emphasis on evidence-based
practice. Research
Research is an integral part of the University of Delaware Physical
Therapy and Biomechanics and Movement Sciences PhD programs. Physical Therapy
Faculty have substantial support from national
funding organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the
Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. Clinical
research focused on developing and improving the care of patients who receive
physical therapy intervention is an integral part of the mission of all UDPT
clinics. Patients who are treated in the NOA clinic may choose to
participate in research that involves persons with neurological impairments
and those with conditions associated with aging. Community
Service The Neurologic and Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic at the
University of Delaware (NOA) sponsors specialty clinics for patients who
demonstrate problems that are unique or particularly challenging to the
rehabilitation community. The University of Delaware PT clinical and
consulting staff, faculty and local PT clinicians attend the
neurologic-geriatric specialty clinic to combine their efforts to recommend
an appropriate treatment plan for patients. The purpose of the specialty
clinics are first to provide appropriate treatment options and
recommendations to the patients. Specialty clinics also serve as a forum for
the exchange of ideas between those in the physical therapy community. While the students are enrolled in their Geriatric clinical
experience, they participate in a supplemental experience interfacing with
the community. The students’
most recent endeavors include Fall Prevention Screening, Delaware Stroke
Support Group, and an Aquatic Pool Pilot.
These are conducted free of charge at places such as the Newark
Community Center. A Journal Club is sponsored by NOA for medical practioners interested in
the rehabilitation of older adults and those with neurologic
conditions. The purpose of the Journal Club is to critically review the
current literature on topics of particular interest to those treating these
patient populations and to encourage integration of this information into
patient care. Geriatric
Residency Program in Development The NOA Clinic also aims to launch a
Geriatric Residency program in January 2006.
Currently there is only one such program anywhere in the country. This
year-long program will meet APTA resident accreditation requirements, and
will set participants up to sit for their GCS certification upon completion. |